Hair Removal Techniques, Creams, Wax, Devices
Regular Shaving with a Razor
Razors have been around for thousands of years. Sharp piece of metal. Drag across skin, Remove hair. Over the years they have become more "safe" and less likely to slice your skin - but it's still metal and skin!
The big issue here is if you get goosebumps. You want your skin lubricated so the metal slices across your skin and doesn't dig into it. But if you get chilled somehow and get little goosebumps popping up in your skin, then the razor slices the tops off of those and you bleed.
Also if the hair is floppy then the razor just pushes it over instead of cutting it, and the hair isn't shaved off.
In general, the best technique to use with a razor is to first take a warm shower. The shower will fill the hair with water and also puff up your skin with water. That way the hair sticks straight up and is stiff, so it's easy to cut. Put a lotion on your skin so the blade drags smoothly over your skin. If you can put a non-fog mirror in your shower this helps a lot too, if you need to see what you're doing.
Use a good, sharp razor. We have found that those 3-blade Mach 3 and Venus razors REALLY do a great job for both male and female shaving. There are new disposable versions of both as well. When your shower is done, but the room is still warm and steamy, put on a good shaving lotion and shave yourself slowly. Don't rush, you risk a nick.
Some people like to shave 'with the grain' because it's more gentle. I find with my thick hair that it leaves stubble when I do this, so I shave 'against the grain' so the blade cuts as low as possible. You can experiment with both ways on your own body to see which way works best for you.
Aftershave is meant to tighten the skin up and add to your smoothness. However if you have ANY nicks it can REALLY hurt. I prefer a lotion after a shave, to soften the skin and help any small nicks or scrapes be soothed. Also, lotion helps the hair grow properly by keeping the skin soft. That reduces the chance of ingrown hairs (i.e. hairs that don't grow up the hair channel and instead grow 'into the skin')
It's recommended that you only use a disposable razor around 5 times before replacing it. If you use a dull razor, you have to press harder to get it to cut the hair, which ends up nicking your skin. It's not worth it.
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